The legendary Black Sabbath duo Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi reunited for a performance on August 8 at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham, England. The duo performed their classic hit “Paranoid,” preceded by a snippet of “Iron Man.”
The two musicians have not performed together since the final show of Black Sabbath in February 2017.
“Tony, I was really proud to see you tonight at the opening of the Commonwealth Games in our hometown of Birmingham”
Ozzy Osbourne on Twitter
“Representing Brum is a great honor, and I’m bursting with pride to be doing it. I’ve flown the flag for Birmingham all of my life because it’s my city, and it’s given me wonderful opportunities.”
Tony Iommi
Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham in 1968, and “Paranoid” is one of the band’s most well-known and popular songs. It was released as a single in 1970, and reached the top of the charts in the UK and US.
The final Black Sabbath tour, dubbed “The End”, was a bittersweet experience for fans of the band. After almost 50 years together, the original lineup of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward decided to call it quits.
While some fans were upset at the idea of the band splitting up, most were happy to see them go out on a high note. The final show was in their hometown of Birmingham, England, and was attended by thousands of fans.
After the show, Osbourne said in an interview that it was a “really sad day” but that he was “proud” of the band’s legacy. Iommi added that it was “an amazing journey” and that he was “glad” to have been a part of it.
While Black Sabbath is no longer together as a band, their legacy lives on. They are considered one of the pioneers of heavy metal music, and their songs continue to be popular among fans, new and old.